“Thor,” an almost $450 million worldwide box office hit earlier this year, introduced audiences to one of the players in Marvel Studios’ grand, forthcoming ”Avengers” saga. And that’s part of the problem, honestly. However admirably ambitious the creation of a unified superhero universe spanning multiple movies, certain entries, like this one, play like little more than origin story pattycake – wan set-up for something of later, actual consequence. On the verge of ascending to the throne of Asgard, headstrong Norse God Thor (Chris Hemsworth) flips out over some nasty ice giant interlopers who are vanquished in fairly short order, and decides to seek revenge, against the counsel of his father Odin (Anthony Hopkins),…

Some people will say 2011 isn’t a great year for movies. I would tend to disagree with that sentiment. It’s true the number of great films (so far) in 2011 are fewer than 2010 but the ones we do have in 2011 are pretty spectacular and worth watching and discussing. There are movies like Gore Verbinski’s “Rango” or Joe Wright’s “Hanna” are among the favorites of general audiences, just looking at the critical response and box office receipts, but there are also smaller movies that seem to have been forgotten like Cary Fukunaga’s adaptation of “Jane Eyre” and Tom McCarthy’s comic gem, “Win Win”. All of these titles are worthy…

Emma Stone has been offered the lead role in director Graig Gillespie’s upcoming film adaptation of Seth Grahame-Smith’s 2009 hit parody novel “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies”, The Huffington Post is reporting. If Stone accepts the role of heroine Elizabeth Bennet, she would be replacing Scarlett Johansson and Natalie Portman, who were both offered the part but turned it down. However, Portman will remain on the film as a producer with her production company, Handsomecharlie Films. If the ‘Easy A’ actress accepts the role, she would be the first person cast in the film. Stone, who battled zombies before in the hit 2009 comedy movie ‘Zombieland,’ will next be seen…

Title: Hesher Director: Spencer Susser Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Natalie Portman, Rainn Wilson, Piper Laurie, Devin Brochu, John Carroll Lynch As the film industry has contracted, and the burden of financing shifted away from companies and more onto creative individuals themselves, American independent films of the past 10 years or so, whatever their genre, have been typically characterized by a certain eagerness to please. This isn’t entirely surprising. Like any other occupational venture in tougher economic times, there’s an element of self-preservation involved. Emergent filmmakers have a desire to keep working, and so they craft stories, consciously or subconsciously, that often play to the whetted appetites of a particular audience or demographic….

A lot of first-time filmmakers play it safe, or trade in cutesy, emo-stamped, indie-friendly cliches, seeking to woo audiences (and critics) with witty and slightly canted takes on extraordinarily familiar material, and then trade on that to-scale success for a call-up to big-league, studio filmmaking. For his feature film debut, Spencer Susser did no such thing. Hesher, starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt in a gonzo turn in the title role, and featuring engaging supporting performances by Natalie Portman, Piper Laurie and Rainn Wilson, is a weird little thing — a warped, seriocomic effort about a sociopathic burnout who intrudes on the life of a shy, gangly teenager who has just lost his mother….

Happy Sunday Shockya readers and happy Mother’s Day to all of the loving mothers out there. We’re back with a brand new installment of your weekly Movie News Cheat Sheet and we’ve got some big items to report. Not only is Paul W.S. Anderson putting together a historic disaster film, but the cast of Piranha 3DD is getting bigger and bigger and prettier and prettier. We’ve also got a handful of brand new trailers to show you, one of which proves Zoe Salanda still kicks butt even off Pandora and another that suggests Conan might just be more of the same. Meanwhile Thor is tearing up the box office and…

In this recent interview, director Kenneth Branagh talks with Jimmy Kimmel about his new film “Thor” by director Kenneth Branagh (Frankenstein) and starring Natalie Portman (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies), Anthony Hopkins (The Wolfman), Chris Hemsworth (Star Trek), Samuel L. Jackson (The Avengers, Iron Man 2) and Kat Dennings. Click Here for more photos, news and videos from Thor. Synopsis: Paramount Pictures and Marvel Entertainment present the epic adventure, Thor, which spans the Marvel Universe from present day Earth to the realm of Asgard. At the center of the story is the mighty Thor (Chris Hemsworth), a powerful but arrogant warrior whose reckless actions reignite an ancient war. Thor is…

Paramount just sent us this brand new clip and featurette for the film “Thor” by director Kenneth Branagh (Frankenstein) and starring Natalie Portman (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies), Anthony Hopkins (The Wolfman), Chris Hemsworth (Star Trek), Samuel L. Jackson (The Avengers, Iron Man 2) and Kat Dennings. Click Here for more photos, news and videos from Thor. Synopsis: Paramount Pictures and Marvel Entertainment present the epic adventure, Thor, which spans the Marvel Universe from present day Earth to the realm of Asgard. At the center of the story is the mighty Thor (Chris Hemsworth), a powerful but arrogant warrior whose reckless actions reignite an ancient war. Thor is cast down…

Title: Thor Directed By: Kenneth Branagh Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins, Stellan Skarsgard, Kat Dennings, Clark Gregg, Idris Elba, Colm Feore, Ray Stevenson, Tadanobu Asano, Josh Dallas, Jaimie Alexander, Rene Russo, Anthony Hopkins As someone who isn’t up-to-date on her comic book reading, these films tend to be a bit of a blur. However, lately, that sensation fades after the films’ releases. Thanks to Marvel, over the years, I’ve gotten to know tons of endlessly fascinating characters like Iron Man, Spider-Man and more. Of course there were less memorable ones like Daredevil and the Punisher, but rest assured, Thor certainly earns his place in the latter…

Marvel just released this new TV spot for the upcoming film “Thor” by director Kenneth Branagh (Frankenstein) and starring Natalie Portman (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies), Anthony Hopkins (The Wolfman), Chris Hemsworth (Star Trek), Samuel L. Jackson (The Avengers, Iron Man 2) and Kat Dennings. Click Here for more photos, news and videos from Thor. Synopsis: Paramount Pictures and Marvel Entertainment present the epic adventure, Thor, which spans the Marvel Universe from present day Earth to the realm of Asgard. At the center of the story is the mighty Thor (Chris Hemsworth), a powerful but arrogant warrior whose reckless actions reignite an ancient war. Thor is cast down to Earth…